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Southern Africa: MT and Diamonds
A Royal Canadian Mounted Police offi cer wearing a red serge uniform is an inter-nationally recognized symbol of Canada. The two “Mounties” at right, Nini Varkonyi and Darrell Robertson, visited our PDAC booth, wearing their formal uniforms. See page two to fi nd out why they were at a mining convention.
C O N T E N T S
2 President’s message Jones Wins Medal RCMP and Diamonds
3 News from around the world
4 On the Road Coming Up
CAMESE Turns 25
ISSUE 39 JUNE 2006 © PHOENIX GEOPHYSICS Published by Phoenix Geophysics Limited
The demand for diamonds has ex-
ceeded supply since 1999, spark-
ing a diamond exploration boom.
However, in spite of considerable
expenditures, the ratio of reserves to an-
nual production worldwide has declined
consistently in recent years. Because
there have been no major discoveries for
about fi ve years, new kimberlite explo-
ration methodologies are needed.
Research is ongoing in an attempt to
provide a better understanding of the
factors controlling diamond occurrence.
The Southern African Magneto-
telluric Experiment (SAMTEX) is a
regional-scale MT investigation of the
deep structure of southern Africa, par-
ticularly the Kaapvaal Craton but also
the attached mobile belts; it extends into
northern Namibia and Botswana, on to
the Angola Craton and the enigmatic
Rehoboth Craton.
Cratons are the ancient, relatively
undisturbed “keels” of the continental
land masses, which “fl oat” like vast
rafts of solid rock on the deeper
molten material. Diamonds are
found in cratons where the lith-
osphere of the earth is 150km
or more thick. (See Issues 15
and 23 of The Phoenix on our The Phoenix on our The Phoenix
website for more background
on diamonds and kimberlites).
The SAMTEX MT work
comprises several long pro-
fi les totaling several hundred
kilometres. SAMTEX uses
Phoenix MT equipment to col-
lect “broadband” MT data from
approximately 320 Hz to periods
of several thousand seconds.
Measurements with our equip-
ment have been made at more
than 450 MT sites, making this
one of the largest MT experi-
ments ever conducted.
SAMTEX participating or-
ganizations include the Dublin
Institute of Advanced Studies
(Ireland), South Africa’s Council
Ph.D. candidate Marion Miensopust and MT technician Jessica Spratt, check an MTU box as part of the SAMTEX survey in northern Botswana; the women are working under the supervision of Dr. Alan Jones of DIAS. Alan is refl ected in the mirror as he takes the picture.
continued on page 2
ISSUE 39 JUNE 2006 © PHOENIX GEOPHYSICS Published by Phoenix Geophysics Limited
2 The Phoenix k Issue 39 JUNE 2006
for Geoscience, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (USA),
Rio Tinto Mining and Exploration Ltd., the Geological Surveys
of Botswana and Namibia, and De Beers Consolidated Mines.
Russia’s Alrosa, as well as other major players in the
diamond industry, own Phoenix MT equipment and/or hire
geophysical contractors that use Phoenix equipment. ■
Phoenix congratulates Prof. Alan
G. Jones for winning the 2006
J.Tuzo Wilson Medal. It was
presented to Alan in May at the
Canadian Geophysical Union
meeting in Banff, Alberta.
Phoenix has worked with Alan
for over 20 years; Phoenix MT
equipment played an important
role in Alan’s work with the Lithoprobe Project of the
Geological Survey of Canada (GSC).
Jim Craven of the GSC noted in the award citation:
“Alan, formerly of the Geological Survey of Canada and
now Senior Professor and Head of Geophysics at the Dublin
Institute of Advanced Studies, is acknowledged as one of the
world’s leading authorities on the use of natural-source elec-
tromagnetic (EM) methods – principally the magnetotelluric
(MT) method – to address geoscience problems, from mining-
scale targets to tectonics on the scale of cratons.
“Some of Tuzo Wilson’s most important contributions
concerned the structure and tectonics of continental-scale fea-
tures. He would have been fascinated with the discoveries that
have resulted from the research of Alan Jones. The Canadian
Geophysical Union is indeed honoured to award Alan Jones
the J. Tuzo Wilson Medal.”
Alan ended his acceptance speech by thanking his nomi-
nators and the CGU, and also noting that “Everything I have
accomplished in Canada has been made possible because of
the gift that the Canadian land mass offers the inquiring mind,
the vision of those in the early 1980s, and the generosity of
Canadian geophysicists, and I salute you all.” ■
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Our extended Phoenix family is growing.
I welcome Diego Pineda to Phoenix.
Diego joined us several months ago as
an electronics technician. He received his
diploma from Centrosistemas Institute of
Technology in Bucaramanga, Colombia and
has worked in Toronto since 2002. He is a
welcome addition to our team.■ ■
There are also second-generation additions to the Phoenix
family. Geophysicist Alex Golyashov and his wife Marina
welcomed a new daughter, Alice, on October 31, 2005. And
just as we were going to press, webmaster André Collin and
Marion Bonafos welcomed the arrival of a daughter, Violette, on
May 21. ■ ■
I would like to extend my personal congratulations to Dr. Alan
Jones, recipient of the 2006 J. Tuzo Wilson Medal. Dr. Jones
and Phoenix have had a long and productive relationship. The
award is well deserved.~ Leo Fox
“Mounties” at PDAC
T he offi cers pictured on our front page are members of
the Diamond Protection Service unit of the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police. The unit was formed in
2001 to prevent organized crime from gaining a foothold in
the diamond industry of Canada’s Northwest Territories.
The unit works closely with local and international gov-
ernments and law enforcement agencies, mine operators and
the secondary industry, focusing primarily on rough dia-
monds. The unit takes a proactive approach to illicit diamond
activity, with the aims of deterring, detecting and preventing
diamond-related crime.
Canada has become one of the world’s leading produc-
ers of rough diamonds since the discovery of deposits in the
Northwest Territories in 1991. We are now one of the top
three diamond producers in the world in terms of value.
(The top two are Botswana and Russia.) Between 1998 and
2002, according to Statistics Canada, 13.8 million carats
worth $2.8 billion were mined in Canada. At the end of
2003, Canada provided 15% of the world’s supply.
Canada’s diamonds have gained an enviable worldwide
reputation for quality and “cleanliness”. (They are “clean” in
that they are not used to fi nance terror, war and weapons, as
they are in some parts of the world.)
The RCMP’s Diamond Protection Service is dedicated to
maintaining Canada’s reputation. ■
Diego Pineda
For more detailed information see:http://www.debeersgroup.com
http:// www.geoscience.org.za/geophys/kaapvaal.htm
http://www.dias.ie/%7Emh/SAMTEX.html
MT and Diamonds, continued from front page
Medal Winner Dr. Jones
JUNE 2006 The Phoenix k Issue 39 3
NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
Olex Ingerov, Leo Fox and Alex Golyashov also took part
in the Fourth International Seminar of Research and
Applied Geophysics held at the St. Petersburg State
Mining Institute. The conference focused on the use of EM
techniques in hydrocarbon exploration.
Right: Olex Ingerov, Leo Fox, and Alex Golyashov visited
the summer residence of Catherine the Great in Pushkin,
25 km from St. Petersburg.
Below: Leo Fox stands in front of the world’s largest
stone mosaic, a 1930s map of the former Soviet Union.
The mosaic is in the museum of the All-Russian Research
Geological Institute, St. Petersburg. All the minerals and
semi-precious stones are from the former USSR. On either
side are coats of arms of two USSR republics.
More than a third of our employees are out of Canada as we go to press. They are participating in surveys,
acceptance tests with clients and our annual fi eld training school and they are attending conferences and
exhibitions in Canada, Turkey, China, Russia and Japan – we’ll have a lot to report in our September issue.
RUSSIA In March, Leo Fox and Alex Golyashov participated in a trade mission to
Tyumen in Western Siberia, the main oil-producing region of Russia. The
mission was organized by the Canada Eurasia Russia Business Association
(CERBA). Special thanks to Elena Settles of CERBA for the arrangements.
Right: Leo Fox, Nathan Hunt of CERBA and Jacob Kunzer (Canadian Em-
bassy, Moscow) visited a Tyumen factory; here they are in front of a large steel
tube used in construction of gas turbine generators.
■ ■
CHINAWang Fei visited China to carry out acceptance tests with
several clients.■ ■
Lu Yi visited several clients in China in April to provide ser-
vice and conduct acceptance tests.
Below: Engineer Chen Liqing of the Mineral Research In-
stitute of Inner Mongolia checks out the Phoenix MG-40A
motor generator.
4 The Phoenix k Issue 39 JUNE 2006
■ September 17-23, 2006: 18th biennial EM Work-
shop in El Vendrell, Spain (one hour south of Barce-
lona). Phoenix is one of the sponsors of the work-
shop. Visit the website:
http://www2.ub.edu/18emiw
■ October 1-6, 2006: Society of Exploration Geo-
physicists exposition and 76th annual meeting, New
Orleans, Louisiana. Phoenix will exhibit at
the SEG.
■ September 9-12, 2007: Exploration ‘07,
Toronto, Canada. Although it is more than
a year away, planning is well underway for
the fi fth in a series of once-a-decade meet-
ings organized by the Canadian mineral
exploration community.
Go to: www.exploration07.com
to read more or to register.
COMING UP
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ON THE ROAD
Below centre: Carlos Guerrero presents maple syrup
to Mr. Shkil Viatcheslav Vasilievich, General Director
of Corno-Altaeivskiy Geological Enterprises, Altayskiy
Kray, Russia
Right: André Rabelo, Ground Geophysics Manager of
Fugro Ground (Geomag S.A.), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Below: Simon Bate, Managing Director of AEGIS
Instruments, Lobatse, Botswana
Calgary, Canada:Alex Golyashov and Olex Ingerov attended the
Canadian SEG conference in mid-May.
Toronto, Canada:The PDAC broke all previous attendance records at its 74th meeting in March; we wel-
comed hundreds to our booth during the week, just three of whom are pictured here.
CAMESE Celebrates 25 YearsIt’s been 25 years since a group of Canadian mining suppliers, meet-
ing around a swimming pool in Lima, Peru, realized there is strength
in numbers when marketing globally.
The group formed Ontario Mining Equipment and Services for
Export (OMESE); fi ve years later they went national, changed
‘Ontario’ to ‘Canada’, and CAMESE was born. CAMESE supports its
more than 250 member companies in global marketing and helps
foreign buyers fi nd Canadian sources for mining equipment and
services.
Phoenix is a proud member of CAMESE. We congratulate
CAMESE on its growth and success.
Go to www.camese.org for more information.
Printed in C
anada
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